


i seek the truth

by choose_joy



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, F/F, F/M, Frozen 2 AU, M/M, The major character death is temporary I promise, rating is for language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-13
Updated: 2020-04-20
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:55:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 16,584
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22245217
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/choose_joy/pseuds/choose_joy
Summary: Lup has always known she's different. In recent years, that hasn't been a bad thing-- the gates to the palace are open, her brother has a wonderful boyfriend who cares about him, and the kingdom is safe.So why does she feel so empty?(The Frozen 2 AU that no one asked for)
Relationships: Avi/Johann (The Adventure Zone), Barry Bluejeans/Lup, Davenport/Merle Highchurch, Hurley/Sloane (The Adventure Zone), Julia Burnsides/Magnus Burnsides, Kravitz/Taako (The Adventure Zone), Lup & Taako (The Adventure Zone), Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 30
Kudos: 30





	1. all is found

Lup and Taako are 6 years old, and it is significantly past their bedtime. To be fair, they've been playing for hours, and haven't noticed the sun slowly setting behind the mountains.

"Oh no! The evil king is trying to chop down the enchanted forest! What are the forest folk gonna do?" Lup cries, forming an angry-looking man out of dark, volcanic rock, placing him on the edge of the elaborate playset she had constructed for herself and her twin. 

"A beautiful wizard is gonna gather them together and they're gonna fight!" Taako responds with a gleeful shout, before conspiratorially leaning over to his sister and whispering, "and guess what? They're gonna win."

The sound of the two elven children carries down the hallway, each laughing as the other pulls another ridiculous plot twist out of their hat. Moments later, their parents appear at the door, quietly smiling at the two as Taako gets Lup to create a-- what is that, a binicorn?-- for the heroic wizard to ride into battle. Still, it was much too late for little elves to be awake, and something had to be done. After a moment's thought, their father walks by, off-handedly saying, "My, what an interesting story! Still, I'd say it's nothing like a real enchanted forest."

The twins both pause at this, before turning matching awe-struck faces towards the tall man walking by. "Papa..." Taako breathed, "you've been to an enchanted forest?"

For a second, the king pauses, looking at his wife, waiting for a silent nod of confirmation before he quickly scoops up his son, "I most certainly have, and I'll even tell you about it if you and your sister promise to go to bed right after."

"We promise, Papa!" comes a voice from the ground, Lup reaching up to be held as well. With a light groan, the king reaches down and lifts her to his other hip, beginning the journey to the room the twins share. In a few seconds, the little family is gathered on Taako's bed, the two children clambering over each other to get the best listening spot to hear their father's story.

"Many years ago, your grandfather, King Toastahduh, made a peace treaty with our neighbors to the north, the kingdom of Phandolin. For many years, our countries had been at odds. The people of Phandolin were so unlike the people of Neverwinter-- for one, they relied on magical spirits to help them every day.” At the mention of magical spirits, Lup lets out a little gasp, the words “just like me...” floating out of her mouth.

“Not quite,” her father replied, “they didn’t have magic themselves. Their magic came from the land around them. To solidify the treaty, and as a show of peace, we helped create a giant dam that would help strengthen the forest. On the day the treaty was signed, I was lucky enough to join my father and some of our best warriors to Phandolin, where there was a beautiful feast to celebrate the upcoming peace. There was delicious food, and wonderful music, and even a domesticated pack of wolves that would let you ride on their backs in exchange for a bite of mutton. Everything was beautiful... until all of a sudden, everything changed. The people of Phandolin attacked us, and a massive war broke out. I was young still, and couldn’t fight well. I slipped and hit my head on a rock, and I don’t remember much after that.” The king takes a deep breath, before continuing: “Your grandfather died that day, and I barely escaped with my life. To this day, I don’t know who saved me. I do know that the fighting enraged the spirits, though. To this day, the enchanted forest is cloaked in an impenetrable fog-- no one has been in or out in 30 whole years.” 

“Whoa...” breathes Taako, eyes wide, “Did that really happen?”

“Sure did, pumpkin,” his mother responds, “And it is our job to make sure the people of Neverwinter stay safe, which is why we’re telling you both about this. The enchanted forest isn’t something to mess around with, you understand?”

“Yes, mama,” responds Lup, crossing her heart with her pointer finger.

“Psh, boring!” responds Taako, blowing a raspberry at the idea of not going on a grand adventure.

“Now listen, didn’t I hear somewhere that it was time for little elves to go to sleep after listening to a story?” Their father says, heading towards the door.

“Awwwww...” the twins respond in unison, both moving up to cross to their father before getting stopped by their mother. 

“Now then, how about a song?” her lilting voice whispers as she makes eye contact with her husband, nodding him an assent as he exits the room. “Cuddle close,” she says, sitting on the side of the bed, “scooch in.”

With Taako curled up on her right hand side and Lup sprawled across her chest, she begins to sing a reflective tune, gently running her pinkie finger down Taako’s nose, lulling him to sleep long before she finishes the first verse. “ _ Where the north wind meets the sea... _ ”

Taako asleep, she slowly stands, cradling Lup close to her chest as she continues with the song, “ _ sleep my darling, safe and sound, for in this river, all is found _ .” 

Moments later, Lup too is fast asleep, curled up in her own bed. The queen gently tucks her two children in, pressing a feather-light kiss to their foreheads before she exits the room, the last line of the song softly sung as she closes the door, “ _ when all is lost, then all is found _ .”

  
  


Less than a year later, the king and queen drown at sea.


	2. some things never change

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> apologies for the supremely late upload! i'll try to be more on time in the future...

It's three years after Lup learned to control her powers. Neverwinter has never been so vibrant, the (regular, non-magical) hot summer months slowly giving way to crisp autumn. The city bustles with couples taking advantage of the pleasant weather, families choosing to walk to their destinations, and farmers markets full of fresh produce, perfectly ripe. 

The day of the autumn solstice finds Taako lying on a hill just outside the city, the wide expanse of lush green grass at his back, endless blue sky stretching high above him. He takes a full breath, noting the slight scent of fresh bread mixed with warm leaves. His eyes flutter shut, his breathing begins to even out---

“Sir! You can’t pretend to fall asleep just because you don’t want to answer a question!” Oh right, that. Groaning, the brown-skinned elf turns to his side, lazily opening his eyes to take a closer look at the preteen to his side.

“I dunno what you’re talking about, punkin,” he replies, “it was such a boring question it lulled me right back to sleep. Why dontcha ask it again, in a fun way?”

Angus huffs, an exasperated, familiar sound. “I said,” he responds, “do you ever worry about the notion that nothing is permanent?”

“Oof, kid. That’s deep stuff there. No wonder I fell asleep last time you asked it,” Taako grumbles, clearly unprepared to deal with radical existentialism at 2 in the afternoon. “Honestly, not really. Yeah, stuff changes, but I don’t have to worry about it. I’ve got Lup back, Sazed is in jail, and Kravitz loves me,” Taako pauses for a second, before spluttering the next words in a rush, “and you’re like... pretty good, too, bubbele.”

At this, Angus looks up from the leaf he’d been studying, mouth slightly agape. “You really mean that, sir? This isn’t a goof?”

The wizard sighs for a moment, knowing he’s not going to get out of this conversation easily, now that he’s metaphorically spilled the beans. Looking into the young boys eyes, he says, “yeah, kid, of course. Look, I know I’m bad at showing it but... you’re my family, just as much as Lup or Kravitz are. You’ll always have a place with us, Ango.” When he notices Angus start to tear up, he quickly gets to his feet, hastily pulling up the picnic blanket and folding it to put back in their basket. “Now c’mon, we don’t want to miss the flag raising ceremony!”

Before Taako can get too far, Angus rushes towards him, wrapping him in the biggest hug an 11-year-old can manage. “Thank you sir,” comes from the child’s lips, muffled from where they’re pressed against Taako’s chest, “...I love you.”

“Yeah, yeah. Me too. Now seriously, Lup’ll kill us if we’re late.” comes the response, brusqueness betrayed by the warmth within it. Taako holds Angus close to him for a second, before quickly snatching his cap off of his head. “If you want this back, you’ll have to catch me!” And with that, Taako races back towards the city, Angus racing after him with peals of laughter.

***

Across the city, Kravitz is walking down the cobblestone merchant street, his wolf Raven at his side. Taking his time, he peruses the shop windows, looking into windows full of colorful suits, gaudy hats, and bright jewelry. In his suit pocket sits a golden ring adorned with crystals of tourmaline and sapphire, nestled in a rich velvet box. To the outside eye, he looks the picture of calm, dignified grace in his black suit. To Raven, however, he’s a nervous wreck. She nudges her head against his hand, looking up at him with seeing eyes. “I know, I shouldn’t be nervous. He loves me. I just want this to be perfect.”

Kravitz lines up his reflection with a mannequin in the window of the nearest shop, bedecked in a vibrant green suit with patterned ascot to match. It's such a stark contrast from what he normally wears but... Taako is so gaudy, so bright. Surely he deserves someone who can match him, not someone who looks like he just came from a funeral every day. Just as he begins to get into his head, he hears a shout from down the street.

“Mr. Kravitz, sir!” comes the voice of Angus McDonald, rapidly getting louder as the boy runs his way. Kravitz barely has time to center himself before Angus jumps into his arms, gripping him tightly in a hug as Taako leisurely joins them, leaning down to scratch Raven between the ears in greeting.

“Hello, Angus. How are you doing today?” the dark skinned man responds, easily holding him as the boy squirms around.

“‘M good! Mr. Taako and I had magic lessons on the hill today!” comes the excited response, before Angus wrestles out of his grasp and toward Raven, gripping her in an even tighter hug as he lavishes attention on the wolf.

“Hey, bone daddy,” Taako says, sliding up to him as soon as Angus is occupied with Raven, “whatcha doin’?”

“Just doing some shopping, dear,” comes the natural reply, as Kravitz leans down to press a chaste kiss on the wizard’s forehead.

“Oh c’mon, you can do better than that,” whines Taako, worming his way closer to the taller man. Kravitz smiles lightly, pulling him into a kiss that’s far more satisfying for the both of them. Taako’s warm lips move against his own, gradually getting more and more bold until---

“Oh gross, sirs,” comes from the space by their elbows, Angus peering up at them with disgust, “c’mon, didn’t you say we were going to be late for the flag raising ceremony?” 

At these words, Taako’s eyes fly open, eyes catching the time on the clock inside the shop. “Shit, we’ve gotta go if we’re going to make it to Lup in time!” he says, already beginning to pull Kravitz towards the town center, Angus and Raven not far behind.

As they approach the town center, finishing touches are being put on the celebration around them-- wooden banquet tables are covered with deeply dyed tablecloths, loaded heavy with rich celebratory foods. The citizens of Neverwinter mill around, comparing harvests and discussing weaving techniques as they slowly gather around the flagpole, situated in the dead center of the street. None of them pay too much mind to Taako’s group, used to seeing some combination of them flitting around the city on a regular basis. 

Finally, from across the square, Taako finally spots his sister, barrelling towards her and wrapping her in a tight hug as soon as he’s close enough. “Happy solstice, doofus!”

With a light laugh, Lup hugs him back, picking him up to swing him around for a second. “Cutting it a bit close, huh brobro?” comes her teasing reply.

“Nah, ya know ch’boy has impeccable timing. No sweat here,” is the response, as the twins pull apart, “Buuuuuut we should probably get to that flag. Wouldn’t want people to worry.”

The group, laughing, approaches the flagpole just as the captain of the guard, Avi, begins to raise the flag. Across the circle, Johann plays a sprightly tune on his violin. As the flag reaches its apex, Lup grins before launching magical fireworks into the sky. As they begin to burst, the crowd cheers, celebrating the official beginning of the fall season.

The rest of the night passes in a blur of warm food, good wine, and plenty of dancing. Johann continues to play through the night, rotating through traditional folk pieces and some of his own creations. Taako and Kravitz join in with the people, trying increasingly complex dances despite neither of them being particularly strong dancers. Angus and Raven both eat so much food that they fall asleep at a table, covered by new blankets (gifts from Istus, the town weaver). Lup creates toys out of lava rock for all the children who ask-- everything from a doll to a cartographer’s telescope. All around them, the city is alive with people, all full of food and good cheer.

Above them all, waving in the wind, is their flag, proud and strong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading! i'll hopefully be back with the next chapter soon!


	3. into the unknown

“Uuuh... panting! Hot! Summer! Dog? Ok, wolf? Oh! Oh! Raven! Yes!” Lup, standing on the couch, cheers, finally finding the answer. “Take that, losers!”

Sheepishly, Kravitz smiles from his place in front of the motley crew, a silent apology in his eyes as he gazes toward Taako. To his credit, Taako only looks slightly miffed that his sister and his boyfriend are so thoroughly beating himself and Angus in tonight’s game of charades. He’s getting soft “Okay, new teams!” he cries, “the twin squad versus the nerd patrol!”

Angus, of course, huffs at the name. Nevertheless, he rises to his feet, grabbing the hat full of words as he looks Kravitz dead in the eyes, “you ready, sir?”

“Sure thing, Angus,” is the response, given moments before Taako turns the hourglass, signalling the start of their turn.

What follows next can only be described as a clean sweep-- Angus flies through the slips of paper, using a combination of pantomime and prestidigitation to quickly (and effectively) help Kravitz guess every word. When all is said and done, the stack of cards next to Angus is at least 20 deep, easily the best any of them have done so far. Taako, true to form, grumbles at the unfortunate turn of events, “listen, just ‘cause I taught the kid everything he knows doesn’t mean he can use prestidigitation to cheat at charades. C’mon, Lulu, let’s show them how real winners play family games, huh?”

Lup grins widely, exposing far too many teeth for anyone’s liking, “hell yeah, bro, let’s smoke ‘em. Pun  _ fully  _ intended.” With that, Lup jumps to her feet, passing the hourglass to Kravitz and grabbing the hat from where it had fallen on the floor. On his count, Kravitz flips the timer over, and Lup reaches quickly into the swarm of papers, pulling out the first one her fingers wrap around. “Oh psh, this’ll be easy.”

Needless to say, it was Not Easy. Halfway through her motions (arms waving straight up in the air as she wiggled side to side), Lup heard something... unexpected. A voice, like the one she had heard for the past three years, singing the same 7-note refrain. When she finally comes back to herself, she realizes she’s standing by the window to the living room, family forgotten behind her. Distantly, she feels a hand on her shoulder, warm and familiar. Her brother. “...okay? You kinda zoned out on me there, goofus.”

Shaking her head, Lup is quick to respond: “yeah, I’m fine! I just think I need to head to bed.” Waving away her brother’s questions, she quickly exits the room, leaving behind a number of questions.

“I think it's my bedtime too, sirs!” comes Angus’ voice, a few seconds after Lup’s sudden exit.

“Sure thing, pumpkin. You want us to tuck you in?” Taako teases back. 

  
Angus knows he’s joking... kind of. He thinks. Nevertheless, he makes a face, as expected of him, “no, Taako, I’m not a baby,”

“Coulda fooled me...” he hears, as he, too exits the room.

The second the two of them are alone, Kravitz begins to panic. Just a little bit. It's the perfect time, isn’t it? They’ve had a lovely day, and Taako has been so happy and... before he knows it, Kravitz is on his knees, facing his boyfriend's back. Reaching into his pocket with one shaky hand, he begins to pull out the ring, words already forming on his tongue, “Taako, you know I love you more than anyth--”

“Do you think something’s wrong with Lup?” Taako cuts him off, not even noticing his position on the ground. Distracted, Kravitz shakes his head and opens his mouth to respond, and is once again promptly quieted as Taako flops down in a huff on the sofa. “We’re baller at charades, I don’t get it? Something’s wrong with her. Oh god, she’s shutting me out again. She hates me. What am I gonna do, Krav?”

Resigning himself to the fact that this proposal is clearly not going to happen tonight, Kravitz rises from his place on the floor, carefully crossing to where his elf has plopped himself down. With a gentle tone, he responds, “I’m sure she isn’t shutting you out, dear. Why don’t you go talk to her?”

That simple suggestion must have flipped a switch, because all of a sudden, Taako is once again on his feet, already halfway to the door, as if the thought hadn’t crossed his mind until Kravitz suggested it. “Thanks, babe! You’re the best! Love you!”

Before Kravitz can respond in kind (because, dear Pan, he really does love him), Taako is out of the room as well. For a moment, Kravitz sits in silence, before taking the ring once again out of his vest. It really is beautiful, with its sparkling gems and thin, delicate band. If only he’d be able to find a way to give it to the man in question.

*******

Across the castle, Lup gazes out the window to her room, eyes gazing listlessly across the fjord. Something is... wrong. It must be, or she wouldn’t be hearing a melody no one else can. Before she can get too far down that train of thought, though, a familiar knock sounds from her door, seconds before a face identical to her own peers in.

“Hey, Lulu. You doing ok?” before she can answer, Taako spits out his next thought quickly. “Because you know, not everyone is great at family games under pressure! Like, obvi we are, but Ango and Krav were totally cheating, and I might be a liiiiitle drunk so I’m not the best guesser right no--”

“Ko, it’s fine! I’m fine!” Lup quickly responds, cutting him off before he can start apologizing more than he is.

“Bullshit. You’re wearing mother’s scarf, you only do that when something’s really bothering you.” Taako replies, unimpressed, as he runs his fingers over the delicate runes embroidered on the scarf in question.

“I’m just tired, that’s all. I haven’t been sleeping well.” This, at least, is partly true. Hard to sleep when you keep hearing a disembodied voice all the time.

“Why didn’t you say so?” Taako’s face uncreases, and he pulls her toward the bed, flopping down on it and pulling her down with him, “Now c’mon, cuddle close, scooch in.” 

Taako begins to run his pinkie finger down the slope of Lup’s nose as she plops her head on his lap, singing the familiar lullaby from their childhood. “I know what you’re doing, Ko.”

He chuckles a bit before pausing his singing, “is it working?”

There’s no response. Lup is already out like a light.

*******

In the middle of the night, Lup shoots out of bed, just as she has countless times over the past 3 years. Groaning, she flops to her side, closer to her snoring brother (maybe that will drown out the incessant singing). When that doesn’t work, she flattens her pillow over her (admittedly large) ears and... nope. It’s still there. 

Careful not to wake her twin, she slips out of bed, pulling the scarf around her shoulders as she pads down the hallway. For a while, she tries to banish the melody from her thoughts. 

Speaking to herself quietly, she tries to center herself. “This is nothing. Just the wind. Everyone you love is here, why would you need anything else? It has to be a trick.”

Soon, though, the music gets louder and louder as she finds her way to a balcony, the fjord to her left and Neverwinter to her right. “Alright, what do you want with me? Please, just tell me!” There is, of course, no response. In fact, the melody gets a little quieter, as if it's moving away from her.

Somewhere deep down inside her stomach, Lup feels a shift, as if she knows that somehow, her destiny is tied up with whoever is singing. Before she can process the words she’s saying, she calls out: “Don’t leave me alone! How do I follow you?”

Around her, tiny crystals freeze, each displaying a different rune. The crystals stretch as far as the eye can see, although there is no rhyme or reason to them.

Well, shit. Now she has to tell Taako.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this story is FINALLY about to start popping off, and i can't wait to share it with you!
> 
> special shoutout to agentmaine for supporting this writing endeavor-- it's been a hot minute since i wrote for fun, so we're gradually shaking the rust off.
> 
> speaking of, i wrote a little one shot about kravitz! check it out on my profile-- i'm pretty proud of it.
> 
> thanks for your patience as i get these chapters out! hoping to get them out quicker than i have been. your comments mean the world!


	4. when i am older

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> will i ever post an update after a reasonable amount of time? no, probably not. thanks for sticking with me anyway, enjoy this latest chapter!

Before she can even think about waking up her brother, the crystals vanish as the ground beneath her shakes. The wind stops blowing entirely, leaving the flag in the town square eerily still for a few moments before it's torn from the flagpole seconds later by a gust much stronger than it should be. As the wind whips through the city streets, the rumbling increases, cobblestones starting to wobble out of their places and the ground beneath them rolls. Citizens begin streaming out of their homes, frantically looking for solid ground. 

That’s when the water starts to rise.

“The cliff!” Lup hears herself yell, “Get everyone to the cliff!”

The castle quickly becomes a flurry of activity as everyone begins to evacuate. Lup continues to project orders to anyone who will listen, Taako running alongside her, a sleepy Angus in his arms.

“What’s going on?” he hisses, trying not to wake the boy clutched tightly to his chest.

“I’ll explain later, just help me get everyone out,” is the curt reply, as Lup plows onward into the town. 

After what feels like an eternity (but is, in reality, maybe 10 minutes), everyone finds themselves huddled around each other on the cliffside just outside the city limits. 

“Everyone is accounted for, your majesty,” Avi relays to Lup, as soon as people stand still long enough for them to be counted. In the distance, Lup is able to see Kravitz and Raven passing out blankets and bottles of water to anyone who needs it. Angus is finally awake, and is entertaining the other children as much as possible by reciting part of the latest Caleb Cleveland novel. Taako, of course, is by her side.

“Thank you, Avi. As soon as it’s light enough, take a few members of the guard back into the city for a supply run.” Lup responds, a shudder running down her spine at her next words, “We don’t know how long we’ll be stranded out here, but it looks like we’re safe outside the city limits.”

“Yes, ma’am,” is the quick reply, before Avi turns on his heel, offering a little smile as he heads back into the fray.

“Seriously, Lup, what’s going on?” Taako asks, “No one should be able to manipulate the elements like that. You’re the only one, I thought.”

His train of thought is quickly cut off as a rumbling group of dwarves approach, the largest stopping in front of the duo. 

“Merle, thank Pan,” Taako makes a face, “Never thought I’d say that. Eughk. What the fuck’s going on?”

“I was hoping your sister would be able to tell us,” is Merle’s cool response, turning his mismatched eyes to the elder of the twins.

Lup, for her part, looks chastised as she mutters, “...I woke the forest spirits.”

Taako and Merle are both silent for a moment, before each erupting into twin yells of “You did  _ what _ ?!”

“I didn’t mean to! It just sort of happened!” Lup squacks out, immediately on the defensive.

“What do we do now?” Taako asks, going to hug his sister gently in an effort to calm her down.

“Let’s find out, I guess,” is the gruff retort, as Merle starts to arrange rocks, leaves, and a few flower petals on the ground. With a low word, lights begin to dance in the space above the components, and Merle translates as shapes flit across the air: a group of celebrating, faceless people, a bridge, a flash of red. “A dark secret is coming to light. A great wrong must be righted. Lup, you must follow the voice that calls to you-- they may be our only hope.” 

The lights slowly fade, and Merle lowers his hands to his side. “I’ll watch over your people. Lup, Taako, I fear you must enter the enchanted forest. Lup, you’ve woken the spirits, and now it's your duty to lay them to rest.” At this, Lup nods solemnly, thanking Merle as she heads toward Raven and Kravitz, already beginning to prepare for their journey.

“One more thing, Taako,” says Merle, catching the elf by his arm as he prepares to follow his sister, “Keep an eye on Lup.”

“I will, old man. She left me once, I’m not gonna let her do that again.” With that, Merle affectionately taps Taako’s hip, moving back to the rest of the dwarves to relay their new plan.

*******

Midday finds Lup, Taako, Kravitz, Angus, and Raven on the edge of the enchanted forest, the far border of Phandolin, after travelling through the rest of the night and well into the next day. 

“Did you know that enchanted forests are notorious for having low survival rates? I learned that from  _ Caleb Cleveland and the Wyrd Wood _ !” Angus announces, as soon as they arrive.

“Pumpkin, I swear to Pan, if I hear one more “fun fact” from you, I will scorching ray you so hard your grandchildren will be born with singed eyebrows,” is Taako’s grumpy reply.

“Oh hush, Taaks, I think it's sweet,” Lup calls from the back of the wagon, giving the young boy a fist bump.

The response is nothing more than a very rude finger pointed in her direction. At this, Lup sticks her tongue out at her brother (who is purposefully ignoring her) before hopping out of the cart, running up to pet Raven as she steps to the edge of the mist obscuring the forest from view. The rest of them are quick to follow: Angus, first, then Taako, then Kravitz, after unhooking Raven from the sleigh. 

The second they all arrive at the barrier, the mists part, allowing them entrance into the woods.

“Does anyone else find this fuckin’ spooky as shit?” Taako asks, following the group as they enter through the path.

“I don’t know, love. Seems pretty normal to me,” is Kravitz’s response, earning him a swift hit to the arm before Taako wraps himself around it.

“I agree, sir, it does seem a little naive to be walking right in. What if it's a trap?” Angus chimes in, his hand finding its way into Kravitz’s open one.

  
  


And then... they’re through. They find themselves on the other side, surrounded by the most gorgeous forest they’ve ever seen. Beautiful, tall trees in all shades of the rainbow, with iridescent leaves that glint in the sunlight. The grass beneath their feet is a sunny yellow, still soft and tender. Behind them, the path closes, the fog forming a smooth wall once again. A toss of a rock proves that they’re unable to pass back through: it skyrockets back at Angus after he’s thrown it, and barely misses him on its way back out.

“What now, Lulu?” Taako asks, beginning to move further into the wood. 

“I’m not sure. Maybe if we try singing its song it’ll sing back?” Lup responds, moving slightly forward and to the left before letting out the 7-note melody. “C’mon, everyone-- split up. Stay within eyeshot, and if anyone hears anything, shout for the others.”

Which is, naturally, the reason Taako finds himself holding a panicked Angus close to his chest no less than 10 minutes later. “I’m sorry sir, I don’t know what happened! I th-thought that I could solve the mystery on my own but then a big w-wind came up and I fell and-and--” Angus sobs into his chest, equal parts scared and horrifically embarrassed by this turn of events.

“Shhh, Ango, it’s okay. Taako’s gotcha. Why don’t we go round up the others and try again?” is Taako’s gentle response, hefting the boy up onto his hip as he calls out for Kravitz and Lup. The two in question (and Raven) appear in the distance, popping out from behind trees just on the edge of a large clearing. The wizard makes his way towards them, and the group begins to converge again.

  
  


This is, of course, when a massive tornado forms in front of them, twirling dangerously closer with each second. As if with one mind, all of them breathe out the same two words: “Oh, shit.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i made a separate twitter for all my taz mumblings! @choose__joy, pls come hang out with me and maybe force me to write this faster than i am. as always, big thanks to jess (agentmaine) for supporting my foray back into writing, i hope i’m making u proud


	5. reindeer(s) are better than people (cont.)

Taako barely has a second to act scandalized at Angus’ curse before leaping into action, a hasily yelled “watch your FUCKING language,” out of his mouth as he positions himself in between the boy and the incoming storm. Across the valley, he can see Kravitz and Lup running towards them, Raven hot on their trail, until suddenly...

They’re all in the tornado together, whirling around faster and faster as the wind whips them through the air. It would be almost funny, if it weren’t terrifying (and god, Lup doesn’t think she’s ever seen her brother look so powerless, and that’s a horrifying thought on its own). Before she knows what she’s doing, Lup pushes her family out of the tornado before extending her arms out, flames crackling larger and larger as they consume the copious amounts of oxygen. She can  _ feel  _ something fighting against her, almost like it's testing her resolve, and then she feels it  _ click.  _ And then, it's no longer scary: it's fun, it's freeing, it's  _ powerful. _

From below, Taako, Kravitz, and Angus look on in horror as the tornado forms a fiery ball above them, scrambling to get out of the way as it comes crashing down in a puff of black ash. Once the air finally settles, they rush towards the epicenter of the blast, to find... Lup, totally fine, surrounded by 4 statues of volcanic rock. 

Angus, of course, rushes forward, launching himself into her waiting arms, relieved to see his “cool aunt” (her term, much to Taako’s chagrin) alive and well. Taako is next in line, opting to give her a crisp high-five as he comments on the structures surrounding them, “damn sis, if you wanted to show us your new hobby, you could’ve just told us. Sheesh, I thought I was the dramatic one here.”

Angus pulls back, and as he does so, a slight breeze ruffles his hair as a leaf spins lazily by. “These must be the wind spirits, Aunt Lup,” he says, reaching out a hand to “shake” the stem, “Hello, my name is Angus McDonald!”

The wind flurries up into the air, the leaf twirling around a flower petal as if to introduce themselves. Angus, ever the detective, notices this quickly, before asking: “Are there two of you?”

The leaf and the flower bob up and down quickly, as if to nod, before swirling to the base of a tree to uncover tiny skulls: one bird shaped with a large beak, and one sheep shaped with curving horns. “I see!” says the boy, “Are those your names?” 

The leaf and flower bob again, faster, before twirling together and dashing out of sight, just after tickling Angus below his chin, fondly, eliciting a giggle from the boy detective.

Kravitz, throughout this whole exchange, is noticeably quiet, choosing instead to look over the statues: one depicts a gnomic man, hair pulled back into a severe braid and face locked in a serious expression as he raises a sword high above his head; one depicts a small pack of wolves, the alpha baring its teeth at an unseen assailant as the others run for cover; one depicts a tall human woman, hands clasped around a staff taller than her as she looks to the side, nervous; and the last depicts a female elf holding an unconscious male elf-- both are incredibly young, but something about them seems familiar, even to him. “Love, come see this,” he says, keeping his eyes fixed on the sculpture as he circles it.

Taako turns toward his boyfriend, following him to view the rock (Lup and Angus hot on his trail). “What am I supposed to be looking at, kemosabe?” he asks, “Aside from some baller art, obvi, Lup.”

“Do these people look familiar?” Kravitz asks, eyes still transfixed.  _ The level of detail... _ he thinks. 

“Whoa whoa whoa there, just because I’m an elf does  _ not  _ mean I know every-- oh wait,” Taako’s (joking) tirade is cut off as he looks closer, “fuck, Lulu, look at this shawl.”

When Lup peers closer, Taako’s shock suddenly becomes understandable. There, before them, lies an exact grey replica of the scarf currently wrapped around her shoulders. “Does this mean--”

“--mother is the one who saved father in the enchanted woods,” Taako finishes, “She’s the reason he escaped.”

The twins barely have a second to process this revelation when marching is heard in the distance, getting closer by the second. “Quick, everyone go this way,” Lup beckons, shepherding the group away from the clearing as Taako pulls the sword free from the stone gnome’s hands.

“Uh, Aunt Lup?” Lup hears, as she whips around from the sound, just in time to see Angus being held by the shoulder by a human woman that looks startlingly like the statue in front of her. Behind the woman are a number of other people-- almost twenty in total-- in all different races: a dragonborn woman standing next to a tall orc woman, an angry looking half-elf lingering to the side, a hulking human man standing with his arms crossed... and then Lup’s eyes catch on the most beautiful human man she’s ever seen, dressed in strange blue pants, his eyes comically wide behind his wire-rimmed glasses.

“Angus!” Kravitz cries, already moving towards the boy, before an arrow whizzes by his face, narrowly missing him and instead hitting the tree next to him, shot from the opposite direction. As they whirl around this time, it's to see a gnome with vibrant red hair leading a small army. Before she can think, Lup lets a small shock of energy leave her fingertips, turning the ground beneath them into sleek, black glass, startling the woman into letting go of Angus, who deftly skids towards Kravitz as the other two groups lose their balance, leaving Lup, Taako, Angus, Kravitz, and Raven directly between them.

“Ok, someone needs to explain what the hell is going on,” she says, once the other groups have more or less gathered their bearings again.

Instead of answering, the gnome pulls his sword out from its sheath on his hip, pointing it at her as he says, “In the name of King Buurr’eeto, declare who you are and what you’re doing in these woods.”

“Oh my Pan,” says Taako, “You’re Captain Davenport.”

The gnome looks shocked to be referred to by name, briefly, before composing himself as he asks: “How do you know that?”

“Your portrait is still up in the castle! I used to set up a table by it and pretend to have tea with you when  _ someone, _ ” at this, he gives a joking glare to Lup, “refused to have one with me.”

Lup steps in at this point, giving a little bow to Davenport as she introduces herself: “My name is Lup, queen of Neverwinter.”

Davenport pauses for a second, searching her face for a moment. He must find what he’s looking for, because seconds later, he and his troop bow before her as he replies, “Queen Lup, you look so much like your father.”

The human woman clears her throat before she begins speaking, “Forgive me, but how are you in here? The forest has been tightly closed for over 30 years.”

“Jeezy creezy lady, no introduction? Just jumping right into business, huh?” Taako quips.

“My name is Lucretia. I’m the leader of the people of Phandolin. I’m sorry, I just don’t understand how you’re here, it should be impossible.”

“Impossible is... kinda my thing,” Lup responds, flicking a flame into existence and letting it rest in the palm of her hand.

“What she means to say,” chimes in Kravitz, “is that we’re here on an important mission to save Neverwinter after the forest spirits were awakened.” Taako chuckles at the diplomatic way of calling out his sister, before he nods along.

Before Lucretia can say anything else, though, the human man in the glasses runs towards Lup, slipping slightly on the black glass before she recalls it. “How do you have a Phandolinian scarf?” he says, reaching for it before blushing profusely, “Oh, sorry,” he bows, awkwardly, “I’m Barold Sildar Hallwinter.”

The other human man takes this as a cue to approach as well, although he aims for Raven, reaching out his hand so that she can sniff it. Seconds later, after getting her approval (in the form of a slobbery lick), he reaches out his hand to Kravitz, introducing himself as “Magnus Burnsides, wolf-tamer and carpenter extraordinaire.”

Slowly but surely, the three groups converge as introductions are made. Soon, the decision is made to set up a camp together nearby, under the shade of a copse of trees. For the first time in many years, the Neverwinter troops and Phandolin tribe eat a meal together, everyone stiltedly making small talk over the food: “delicious, natch, it's a Taako meal, baby.” All is relatively peaceful (if a bit quiet), until Lup’s laughter rockets out through the clearing as she cries:

  
“Your name is  _ Barry Bluejeans?! _ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so because of the coronavirus, i'm working from home for the foreseeable future. good news for y'all though, because this means i might actually be forced to write faster!
> 
> thanks for the continued support! you can find me at choose__joy on twitter, or thisisadingdongblog on tumblr! pls chat with me about taz i'm desperate


	6. lost in the woods

Sunset finds Taako and Kravitz curled up on a blanket on the edge of a cliffside, overlooking the mountains to the west. The air has a light chill to it, but is easily combated with a warming spell from the wizard. Birds chirp around them, and in the distance, they can still hear the chattering from the camp.

“This is really nice, Krav,” Taako says, nuzzling closer to his boyfriend, “the sky is mad beautiful out here.” Kravitz opens his mouth to respond, and is promptly silenced with a “yes, I know, not as beautiful as me, you’ve said.”

Kravitz lets out a little chuckle at being so thoroughly called out, pulling his partner a little closer to himself and resting his cheek on the top of his head.  _ Now’s as good a time as any,  _ he thinks, mind on the small box still resting in his breast pocket. He gives himself a breath, and then begins to speak: “Taako, I love you so much... more than anything, although Raven and Angus are close seconds. And I’ve been wanting to do this for ages, but if we never get out of these woods--”

“Hold on,” Taako cuts him off, “you think we’re going to be here forever?”

“No no no, I just mean, if your sister isn’t able to find the voice then--” Kravitz tries to respond, before getting cut off again.

“Oh my Pan, you’re right, I should be helping her, not just sitting to the side. Fuck Krav, I’m so stupid, she must be out of her mind!” And just like that, with a swift kiss to his boyfriend’s forehead, Taako is already on his way back towards his sister.

***

His sister, who is most assuredly _not_ freaking out. Rather, she seems to be doing the exact opposite, instead sitting beside a fire (keeping an eye on Angus, who is entertaining the other kids nearby with simple cantrips) with Barry, both of them animatedly discussing the theoretical practicalities of necromancy. After Barry makes a (truly horrible) pun, _I’m dying_ _to test out some theories_ , the two dissolve into laughter, and then, comfortable silence. That is, until Barry reaches for Lup’s shawl, with a quiet “may I?” At her assent, he takes it off her shoulders, displaying the pattern and tracing it with his fingers.

“Did you know that the weaving pattern has a purpose?” he asks.

“You mean, besides looking dope as hell?” is the witty retort from Lup.

The human man cracks a smile as he continues, “Well yes, of course. That’s a given though.” He gestures to the largest pattern on the back of the shawl, a ball of flame with four tendrils reaching up, each with a small symbol above them: a spiral, a triangle, a circle, and a rectangle, “the symbols above the fire each represent a different element: wind, fire, water, and air, respectively. But what many people don’t know is that there’s a fifth element that feeds them all,” and at this, he points to the base of the flame, where the center of the heat is depicted, “right here.”

Lup traces the patterns as Barry explains, occasionally bumping into his fingers with her own (and completely missing the vibrant blush on his cheeks, which he thanks Istus for). “What’s the fifth spirit?”

“Only Tusun knows,” he replies, wiggling his fingers mysteriously, “no one’s ever been there, though some think that the path lies in a song every Phandolianian child is sung.” And with that, he begins to sing, in a voice that’s low and melodious, in a creaky kind of way.

And, well,  _ isn’t that something _ , Lup thinks, before realizing “wait, I know this song. My mom sang me this song.”

Barry stops, tilting his head as a sad look crosses into his eyes. Before he can say anything, though, something strange happens: water begins to soak their feet, winking out the fire in front of them as a puddle forms, small at first and then getting exponentially larger every second they wait. 

Lup jumps to her feet, pulling Barry up with her as she assesses the damage. So far, it just seems to be a large puddle, but it's spreading and deepening with every passing second, getting closer to the tents and the-- “Barry, the kids!”

That’s all she has to say before the human man is already running towards the others, ushering them away from the camp and  _ oh god that water is spreading now _ , a river forming as it reaches out towards the encampment. Before she can think about what she’s doing, she sends a wall of flames that surround the growing puddle, continuing to conduct them even as they begin to wink out. Slowly but surely, the puddle gets smaller and smaller and... angrier? As she gets closer to the center, the puddle shifts and wiggles faster and faster, until the water disappears altogether and in its place is a shivering, floating jellyfish-like creature.

The creature is obviously afraid, and yet, it seems almost content? Lup gets closer to it, extinguishing the flames as she steps closer, palms flat in a placating gesture. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

The creature doesn’t move from the spot, although the shaking is still obviously visible. Slowly, gently, she reaches out a warm hand, gently laying it on top of the cap of the jellyfish, which promptly... nuzzles into it? It chirps out a few notes, before floating right above her shoulder, as if it's feeding off the warmth from her skin.    
  


“Hey, little guy,” she says softly, stroking one finger through its tentacles, “Doing better now?”

The jellyfish creature hums a couple more notes before settling more firmly on her shoulder, a comfortable weight as she responds, “they’re probably all looking at us, huh?” A few chirps. “Should we head back?” More chirps, higher in pitch-- an affirmation.

Lup breathes deeply before turning around to face the group behind her, who are, predictably, peering at her with expressions ranging from impressed to nervous. She simply grins a cocky smile before moving confidently towards Barry, who outstretches a hand toward the creature. The creature, in turn, lifts a tendril of its own and presses it to his fingertips, lighting up brightly as they make contact.

Barry turns his grin towards Lup, and she knows, in that moment, that she’s already falling hard for this adorable nerd.

***

After the hubbub has calmed down a bit, and Taako has joined his sister and Barry around a newly relit fire (Angus asleep against his side), Kravitz is startled out of his quiet reverie by the self-appointed wolf-tamer, Magnus, and his wife, a beautiful young woman with full cheeks and a smile as wide as her husband’s.

“Hey there, my man, what seems to be eating at you?” the man asks, inviting himself to sit next to Kravitz on the patch of (thankfully dry) land.

“Oh! It's... it's nothing, really,” and yeah, that sounds fake, even to himself. He can’t help but run his thumb over the velvet box again (thinking  _ I should probably get a new box, this one is far too worn to be presentable now _ ), a gesture that certainly doesn’t escape Julia’s eye. Before he can blink, the box is out of his hands and in hers, and his indignant squak is cut off by her coo of delight at the beautiful ring inside.

“A proposal? Why didn’t you say something! I can help with that!” Magnus’ eyes light up as he clasps Kravitz’s shoulder in a side hug, “We have the absolute coolest proposal traditions here.”

Warily, Kravitz asks, “Do they... work? I’ve been having trouble getting him to realize what I’m trying to do.”

With a conspiratorial wink, Magnus stands up, extending a hand to help Kravitz to his feet as well, before pulling his wife into a spinning hug. “It worked for me, huh?”

And. Well. There’s no arguing that.

***

Before any of them have realized, it's the middle of the night, and most everyone is asleep. That is, everyone but the twins, Barry, and Lucretia, who are still gathered around a fire, chatting amicably. Angus is still curled against Taako, and the jellyfish long since let out a few hums before disappearing into the woods again.

Then, in the distance, comes a low thudding noise, getting steadily louder. Barry and Lucretia quiet instantly, and without a second thought, Lucretia pours a pail of water over the fire, ushering them all to hide in the tents.

“What’s going on?” asks Taako, already on his feet, though carefully holding Angus on his hip so as to not wake the boy.

“Earth spirits,” is Barry’s curt reply, shepherding the group into a tent. Taako goes easily enough, with Lucretia right behind him. Lup, however, lingers by the entrance, gazing expectantly upon the trees, which are now shaking softly with the vibrations.

“Lup, c’mon,” Barry says, reaching out a hand for her, but grasping nothing but air as she runs to hide behind a tree instead, still keeping an eye on the forest where the thumping is getting almost uncomfortably loud, until...  _ there.  _ She can see them: giants, taller than the tallest tree and twice as wide, with stony skin and beady eyes. They don’t see her, not yet, and she begins to take a hesitant step forward before being yanked back, her indignant huff cut off by a hand firmly pressed against her mouth.

“What the hell, Lulu, they can’t see you,” Taako hisses next to her ear, pulling her back and out of sight until the lumbering is far in the distance a few minutes later.

Lup stalks out from behind the tree as soon as the coast is clear, before angrily turning around to her brother. “How do you know they couldn’t see me? What if I could tame them the same way I did the wind and water spirit? What if that’s the  _ point _ , Taako?”

It's Lucretia that speaks up, rather than her twin. “The earth spirits don’t normally come this far north, and it was imperative that we didn’t raise suspicion. They’re not easily trifled with. Besides, protecting the camp was more important, and to do that, we needed to stay hidden. ”

Lup throws her hands up in the air, agitatedly. “Then it must be my fault they’re up here at all. I have to keep moving, I have to find the fifth spirit.”

“I’ll come with you.” Taako says, already rushing to grab their things.

Lucretia approaches Lup, Barry just behind her. “There’s something powerful within you, Queen Lup. Whenever you need help, Phandolin is on your side.” With a grand bow, she leaves, leaving Barry and Lup together.

“Listen I know we just met but... be careful out there,” says Barry, eyes on the ground as he holds out his hands, a hastily wrapped package in his hands, “I know it isn’t much, but I hope it helps. You don’t need to open it now, I just... wanted you to have it.” 

He starts to bow and take his leave, and just before he goes, Lup bends down to press a soft kiss to his cheek. “Thank you, Barry. I’ll be back soon.”

The man flushes a vibrant shade of red before rushing off, a smile stretching across his face, echoed on her own. She has a second to herself before Taako comes running back, Angus sleepily rubbing his eyes at his side and cloak draped over his arm.

“I couldn’t find Krav anywhere, but I told Barry to let him know where we’re going. I’m sure he’ll catch up. Here, I’ve got your cloak,” he passes it to her, as well as a pack, “and some food from Lucretia. Boy wonder here has probably got a couple miles in him before we need to break, so we should get moving.”

Lup lets her gaze linger upon the encampment as the sky turns a hazy lilac, the sun not quite risen yet. She waves to Barry, bows to Lucretia, and then turns to her family. “Alright. Let’s go.”

***

The sun is just beginning to peer through the clouds above when Kravitz, Julia, Magnus, and the (frankly, alarmingly large) pack of wolves hear footprints coming their way. Magnus shushes the animals, paying special attention to Raven and his own companion, Johann. Just as the figure steps into the clearing, Julia lets the crate of butterflies open, which swarm around Kravitz, who is standing on a heart-shaped rock, surrounded by the wolves (who are now running around him which is  _ really fucking cool _ ). “Prince Taako, I love you with all my heart. Will you marry me?” 

The butterflies clear to reveal... not Taako. Kravitz can feel a blush rise to his cheeks as he recognizes Lucretia, before he hops off the rock. “I’m sorry,” she says, “Prince Taako and the Queen and the young ward all left a few hours ago.”

“Where’d they go?” he asks, embarrassment giving way to panic.

“The queen said they needed to keep moving to find the voice she’s been hearing,” at this, she lets an apologetic look cross her face, “I’m truly sorry. You’re welcome to join us, if you’d like. We’re heading north, towards our permanent encampment. Magnus, Julia, we need to get going.”

Kravitz feels himself nod dumbly, waving off her platitudes. Magnus comes to his side, placing a warm hand on his shoulder, “I’m really sorry, Kravitz. Why don’t you come with Jules and I? I’m sure we’ll find them.”

Kravitz shakes his head before Magnus even finishes speaking. “Thank you, Magnus, but I think I need a second. I’ll catch up with you.”

“Do you know the way?” Julia asks, standing beside her husband, a comforting smile on her face.

“Yes, I’m certain I’ll figure it out. Please, don’t feel like you need to stick around, I’m sure you need to get the pack moving.” Kravitz responds, plastering on a small smile (grimace) as he turns toward Raven, letting Julia and Magnus have their silent conversation, which is obviously about him. They must come to an agreement, because a couple seconds later, Magnus turns to Kravitz and gives him a wave and a smile, before ushering the pack and his wife towards the rest of their group.

And then, Kravitz is alone.

Again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we're on day four of working from home and i'm slowly going crazy, but at least it's good for writing! i hope you've enjoyed this latest chapter-- it's definitely the longest yet!
> 
> as always, you can find me at choose__joy on twitter and thisisadingdongblog on tumblr!


	7. show yourself

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I give up! You get updates when you get them! I've accepted my fate!

The sun is high in the sky, beating down on the trio as the forest slowly gives way to... plains, for some reason. All the while, Lup sings the same seven notes she’s heard for months now, oblivious to the looks Angus and Taako are shooting to each other (every time she starts to get a little pitchy, Taako will make a face behind her back, and Angus will have to stifle his laugh and school his smile into something resembling solemnity when Lup inevitably turns around).

Soon, however, all levity vanishes with a  _ whoosh  _ as a grim sight comes into focus: a wrecked ship, a gaping hole where half of the cabin should be.

A wrecked ship in the middle of the  _ plains _ , with no water to be seen.

A wrecked  _ Neverwintern  _ ship.

A wrecked Neverwintern ship bearing the royal seal.

Before any of them can process, or even say anything, they’re all three rushing towards the wooden monolith. Lup and Taako, with twin minds (ha), reach out to reverently brush the hull, worn with time and hot sun. Meanwhile, Angus ventures further into the ship, methodically taking note of everything-- the sun-bleached banner, the shattered china, the scent of warmth that seems to be emanating from... everything.

“Jeezy creezy, what happened here?” Taako breathes out, stepping further into the ship (Lup hot on his heels).

“I’m not sure, sir,” Angus replies, running a finger across one of the fallen beams. No dust.

“Didn’t old Neverwintern ships have a secret waterproof compartment?” Lup asks, fingers dancing along the floorboards, “I could’ve sworn...” she’s cut off by a  _ pop _ , and a second later, a glass canister rolls out from the board she’s pressed at just the right angle. The canister rolls for a second before coming to gently rest upon her toe, and she picks it up, gesturing for the other two to join her at a somehow still-intact table in the center of the room.

When they’re all gathered around, she breaks the container, which splits cleanly in two, and allows the contents to unfurl: inside is a simple map, vibrant and detailed and depicting...

“...Tusun,” Lup and Taako breathe aloud. 

The air in the ship is suddenly thick with the weight of the word. “Why were they going to Tusun?” Angus asks.

“I... I don’t know, bubbele,” is Taako’s response, as he reaches out a hand to lightly press on the young boy’s head, “What if... wait, what was that ‘fun fact’ you told us on the way here?”

“The woods are a place of transformation?” is Angus’ confused reply.

“No, no, the one about water!” Taako’s eyes are getting brighter as he waves his hands expressively.

“Oh! Water has memory!” Angus cheers, before a frown creases his forehead, “How does that help us, though?”

Taako doesn’t respond, instead turning to Lup, “Do you think you could try controlling the water spirits again? If Kid Detective is right and water does have memory, maybe it can tell us what happened here.”

Lup’s eyes widen, and her mouth splits into a wide, sharp grin before she leans over to ruffle Angus’ hair. “Ango, you’re a genius! Hang on, let me try something.”

She bends down to the floor, eyes closed in concentration as her fingertips make contact with the soft wood. Slowly, water droplets begin to leach out of the beams and floorboards and furniture all around them, moving faster and faster as they conglomerate in a vague shape at the center of the room. As they do so, whispers begin to float in the air around them; some are full sentences, and some, only words, here and there.

_ \--go back-- _

_ \--we need to keep moving-- _

_ \--if anything will help-- _

_ \--the waves are too big-- _

_ \--stop-- _

_ \--go-- _

_ \--we need to know the truth. For our daughter-- _

_ \--my love-- _

_ \--here-- _

As the last whisper fades in the air, a bright light shines from the mass of water droplets, before it solidifies into its final shape-- a couple ( _ the king and queen,  _ Angus’ mind supplies, knowing despite never meeting them) wrapped in each other’s arms, a giant wave cresting behind them. Their faces are peaceful as they gaze at one another in eternity.

A broken sound forces its way out of Taako’s throat first, and then Lup’s. Both of them run towards the figures, each placing a gentle finger along the gentle lines of surface tension. Little beads of water fall away, like the tears that are slowly sliding down their cheeks. Angus can feel the power of the moment, can feel the energy, and silently reaches up to hold each twin’s hand-- Taako on his left, Lup on his right. 

It's the little squeeze he gives that breaks them-- Lup’s voice, hoarse, sounds from above him as she tries to pull her hand away (he doesn’t let her). “They died because of me.”

Spell broken, Taako turns toward his sister, fire alighting in his vaguely teary eyes. “You didn’t do anything, Lup, you were a kid. They were too stubborn to turn away from a storm, and that’s their own fault.”

And yeah, maybe that’s a harsh way of thinking of things, but it does the trick well enough, because Lup lets herself be pulled away from the statue, which has begun to slowly sink into the floor as the water returns to its proper locations.

Once outside, Taako wraps his sister in a big hug, Angus between them. “You know we’re here for you. If we need to go to Tusun to figure out how to handle this, we’ll do it together.”

For a second, Taako thinks she understands, as she holds them both a little closer and nods. “I love you, Taaks. You too, McDango.”

And then she pushes them away.

Below their feet, a small boat made of Lup’s signature volcanic rock wraps around them, and a steady stream of water pushes them away and down the hill. The last thing they hear is a quiet “I’m so sorry,” and then they’re gone.

And Lup is alone. Again.

***

It's nightfall by the time Lup reaches the seashore, and clouds are roiling above, making the waves shake with power. Dangerously.

Before she can psych herself out, she pulls her platinum hair into a low ponytail and digs her bare feet in the opal gravel below her. With a huff of air, she breaks into a dead sprint, hoping that her previous relationships with the water spirits will somehow carry her to safety.

And they do. For a while. Until a great wave glitters in the air above her, its white crest curving like a sick smile as it tumbles down, breaking over her head and pushing her to the ocean floor. For a minute, she can’t breathe, can’t see, can’t  _ think _ . 

And then she feels a tendril wrap around her ankle and  _ pull.  _ At first, she can’t tell which way they’re heading, and she struggles against the pulling. But the water gets colder and she’s getting lightheaded and suddenly it's too much and---

She’s above water.

To her right is a familiar sight. Lup can’t help it-- she laughs. “Hey little guy!”

The jellyfish creature twirls happily in the air, its tendrils flipping water at her playfully. It hums a couple notes happily, and then begins to pull her towards it.

“Ok, ok,” she giggles, paddling through the water before remembering  _ she has magic powers, duh _ , and creates a low boat out of the same volcanic rock she sent her brother and nephew away in (her heart twinges for a moment, but it's better that they’re safe than here). Lifting her hand again, she reaches out for the tendrils of the jellyfish creature, who chimes again before it starts pulling her smoothly across the water, the ocean calm as glass now.

The water passes in a blur, skidding beneath her boat as she moves faster than anyone logically should. The jellyfish creature is tinkling notes as it pulls her, and the farther they go, the more the lights within flash a variety of colors, until it's illuminated like a beacon. 

When Lup is finally able to tear her eyes away from the shining creature, she’s able to see why it's so jubilant— just ahead lies the most beautiful island she’s ever seen. It's vibrantly green, with tropical plants of all colors spilling over the edges. In the center is a tall volcano, smoking lightly at the top. Instead of it being menacing, it's calm and promising, and Lup feels her heart swell with hope for the first time in  _ years _ . 

The jellyfish creature brings her safely to shore, her little boat resting lightly upon the shining ground. With a tentative step, she disembarks, and the creature gives a little twirl, humming again and bobbing up and down in the facsimile of a bow. Lup, a smile creasing her face, curtsies in return, and the jellyfish creature seems to delight in that, before it disappears into the waves once again. 

Turning back towards the volcano, Lup can feel the otherworldly pull of magic calling her, underlaid with the same seven-note melody. She pushes through the trees, towards the magic, towards the  _ music _ , ducking under boughs laden with shining fruits and jumping over dunes of rich soil and running, full tilt, into a cavern surrounded by orange light. 

All the while, she’s laughing. 

It's a bright, beautiful noise. It's rich and full and joyful and it's hers and it's the island’s and it's home and—

—she’s home. 

She knows it the moment she steps into the chamber. She steps into the cavernous room and something  _ clicks _ , like a puzzle piece slotting into place after being lost under the couch for years. She looks around and suddenly she’s not alone— she’s surrounded by memories. 

Taako, knocking on her door as a child, asking her to come play. 

Sazed, twirling a much older Taako around a ballroom (she punches the smarmy looking man first, and rolls her eyes at her brother).

Kravitz and Raven, playfully wrestling upon an open field. 

Her father, handing her a pair of thick, woolen gloves. 

Taako and Kravitz, finding Angus, half dead, in a bank of snow, before bringing him to Lup for help (she did, of course she did. The look of wholeness in her brother’s eyes when he gazed upon the child in his arms is something she’d never forget).

Her mother. 

Her mother, who is _looking_ _at her_. Who is singing the seven-note melody. Who is holding her arms wide open in an embrace. And Lup can’t help it, she rushes in. 

She Knows It, suddenly. It's not some grand revelation that sends her reeling, or something that forces her way into her brain. It just Is. 

She’s the final spirit. 

She’s  _ whole.  _

And, helplessly, she begins to laugh, clinging even tighter to the shade of her mother. Great peals of joy that flow from her in relief and hope and peace. 

In time, she can feel her mother begin to loosen her grip, and Lup pulls away (but not out of her arms. She could stay in these arms forever, if only Taako and Kravitz and Angus and... and Barry were here). Searching her mother’s face, she sees the same thought occur to her, and a sad smile crosses her face. 

Instead of words, she simply tilts her head toward a tunnel on the opposite end of the cavern, and leans down to press a kiss on her daughter’s forehead. The two embrace for a moment again, and then... she’s gone. 

Lup should be sad, but instead she’s at peace. She knows who she is and what she must do and she still has to save her family and she can  _ do it.  _

And she enters the tunnel. 

She’s surrounded by the beat of war drums, and shadows begin to creep along the walls as she follows, great armies walking closer and closer towards... something. She can hear whispers again, little snippets of conversation that  _ aren’t enough to explain anything _ . 

She’s on the edge of a cliff, suddenly. The shadows keep moving forward, and the whispers are louder, but she can’t  _ see  _ what’s happening. 

So, she jumps. 

When she does, the world goes silent for a second as it twists into the shape of a room— the battle chambers in Neverwinter— and suddenly she can hear the conversation, clear as day:

_ “By building the dam, we weaken their powers,” _

_ “But, sir, the Phandolinians have done nothing...” _

_ “Silence! I am your king, and you will obey me!” _

The room twists into smoke before solidifying again, this time into the trees of the forest she’s become all too acquainted with. In the distance, she can see two men leaving a celebration, moving farther into the misty wood, and she runs to follow them (she’s moving slower,  _ why is she moving slower). _

She can hear their conversation in whisps, little genial phrases until they stop walking and the smaller of the two men leans down to scoop some water from a fresh spring into his cup. 

Lup is moving painfully slowly at this point, until she can’t anymore. She strains her eyes to see what happens as her body slowly begins to shift into the volcanic rock she’s come to know as a comfort, not a fear, but she’s so close, and she needs to  _ know— _

_ “For Neverwinter,” _

The taller man plunges his sword into the kneeling man, and he and Lup take in twin noises of shock as they see his face: her grandfather, King Toastahduh. The man crumples, and Lup is frozen in place. 

  
Her mother’s warning lullaby rustles through the air as she takes one final, desperate breath, using the last of her consciousness to shoot a beam of white hot light above her:  _ “but not too far, or you’ll be drowned.” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter dedicated to agentmaine (again). i just thought about jess and got a little emo about how much i care about them when i was writing it so HAH this is for them.
> 
> can't believe there are only 2 chapters left! i'm hoping to get them out soon, but we'll see. this is the longest chapter to date, but i have a feeling the next two chapters might be a bit of a doozy. 
> 
> as always, you can find me at choose__joy on twitter, or thisisadingdongblog on tumblr!


	8. the next right thing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm really sorry about this.
> 
> (this is the chapter the major character death comes into play, see end notes for cw)

Taako, for all he loves his sister,  _ hates  _ his sister right now. Scrabbling against the ground next to them, he curses her name the whole time they float, all while desperately trying to  _ stop the fucking boat from moving. _

“--fucking  _ again  _ I can’t  _ believe  _ she’d push us away  _ again!”  _ he spits, tossing a spell over his shoulder in a bid to catch a rope on a passing tree branch.

“Uh, Taako, sir?” Angus tries, before being muffled by another spell whizzing by his ear.

“Not now, bubbele, we gotta catch up with my  _ idiotic  _ sister,” Taako replies, not paying attention to the little boy next to him.

“Taako?” Angus tries again, a little more frantically now, starting to tug on his mentor’s cape.

“Sweet pea, I love you, but I gotta stop this boat from getting too far so unless--” Taako is the one cut off this time, the next tug on his cape sending him sprawling to the bench below him.

“Taako, look!” and he does-- he follows the line that Angus is pointing, and at first nothing seems out of the ordinary. Somewhere along the line, their little boat joined the larger river that splits the forest, and all around them are cliff sides of grey stone dotted with moss and wildflowers.

Except... they’re not cliffsides. The closer he looks, the more he can make out limbs and joints and giant, sleeping faces.

Taako may be a lot of things, but he’s not an  _ idiot  _ (although he plays one on T.V., he likes to joke). He knows when it's time to close his mouth and focus, even if sometimes he needs a push from his kid.

_ Hm _ , he thinks,  _ kid. That’s something we’ll need to unpack later. _ He shakes his head, clearing his thoughts, and turns to the child sitting next to him, who is way too smart for his own good and definitely just saved both their lives. Using a series of hand signals, the two devise a plan-- come up with a way to steer the boat (each casts Bigby’s Hand to serve as a type of oar) and figure out which way to move (towards the mouth of a cave, just on the edge on their sightlines).

Surprisingly, they make it through the water without much fuss, although they do almost hit the nose of an earth spirit whose only noticeable feature is a giant nose sticking straight up from the water, which almost sucked them in with the force of its inward breath.

Soon, though, they’re inside the cavern, and... it's beautiful. As soon as they pass the entrance, it's like all outside noise disappears, and instead all they can hear is the steady  _ drip, drip  _ of condensation falling onto the smooth river. Dotting the walls are thousands of bioluminescent mushrooms in all shades of blue and green and pink, and when Taako reaches out a hand to touch one, it emits the sound of a chiming bell, light and airy.

When Taako looks back, Angus’s eyes are wide and shining almost as brightly as the light glinting off of his round metal frames, and his smile is the picture of childhood joy.

Not for the first time, Taako thinks about how lucky he is to have this kid in his life. He can’t believe he gets to share beautiful things like this with him. The kid deserves the world, and damn if Taako won’t give it to him and then some.

Before he goes down  _ that  _ soppy rabbit hole too hard, he plucks a mushroom from the wall and tosses it lightly at Angus, where it  _ plops  _ against his jacket, leaving a trail of pink  _ something  _ as it clatters to the base of the boat.

“Sir!” he cries, a mixture of exasperated and fond, “You’re washing this jacket! It's my favorite jacket and you just got it all dirty!”

“Psh,” Taako blows out past his lips, “I’ll just buy you another one. Though...” he places a thumb along her chin, tilting his head thoughtfully, “that color does suit you. Hm...” Before Angus can react, he tosses another mushroom at him, this one leaving a blue trail.

Angus yelps before his eyes narrow, and then it's  _ war  _ as he uses his blue mage hand to lobby attacks right back at his mentor.

By the time they’re both laughing too hard to continue lobbing mushrooms at one another, they’re covered in a sticky, glittery tie-dye of colors, and Angus flops down, falling right onto Taako’s lap.

“Oof!” Taako cries out, rubbing his stomach for dramatic effect, “When did you start getting so big? What’ve we been feeding you?”

Angus turns around so his face is staring up at his mentor, a grin is stretching across his face and he looks  _ so much like Kravitz  _ in that moment that Taako’s heart leaps to his throat as he brushes the boy’s curls from his forehead. He knows they’d do anything for this kid, and the words have been trapped for far too long and  _ fuck it  _ he’s basically already their kid anyway.

_ Well,  _ he thinks,  _ no time like the present.  _ He opens his mouth, ready to ask the question he’s been meaning to ask for  _ actual, literal years-- _

Which, of course, is when everything goes to shit.

The cliff comes from nowhere— one second they’re peacefully drifting through the winding cave, and the next, the sound of rushing water pounds against their ears, giving them only seconds to realize what’s happening. Taako lunges forward, scooping Angus into his arms and wrapping them in the tightest ball he can manage just in time for their feet to lift off the bottom of their boat. 

For a second, they’re free falling, and Taako is utterly, completely terrified. 

Until he remembers he  _ has fucking magic  _ and casts feather fall on himself and his charge, and they’re able to semi-peacefully drift to the bottom of the waterfall before being uncerimoniously dropped into the underwater lake. 

Taako surfaces first, flailing a bit before catching his breath, before promptly losing his breath when he realizes  _ Angus is no longer with him.  _

“Angus? Bubbele? Where are you?!” He paddles around furiously, ducking under the water to try to see something, anything that resembles the young boy. For a moment, the world stands completely still. 

Taako doesn’t so much  _ see  _ Angus as  _ feel  _ him, seconds later. He spins 180 degrees in the water just in time to see Angus’ head bobbing just above the waves, and shock of relief travels down his spine as he quickly paddles over to the child. 

“Oh thank Pan you’re alright,” he says, uncaring of the emotion that he’s showing as he wraps his arms around the boy  _ (his boy)  _ and steers them both towards the shore. 

They land on the bank soon after, and Taako takes a moment to heave in a breath when they collapse on the rocks.  _ They’re okay,  _ he reminds himself,  _ they’re both safe, and they’re both okay.  _

Angus breaks the silence with a little sniff, and Taako is on his feet before he can blink, pulling up the human and wrapping him, again, in his arms. “You’re okay, kiddo. It’s okay.”

Angus just relaxes into the hug and lets himself be held as his tears slowly peter off. When the last of them are gone, he gives Taako’s torso a little squeeze before pulling away (although he doesn’t let go of his hand). 

“Alright, let’s figure out the plan. I bet we can find a way out of this, no sweat,” Taako says, casting a quick prestidigitation to dry off the worst of their clothes. “Which way?”

“Well, sir, there’s a breeze moving in this direction,” Angus supplies, using his free hand to point toward the left tunnel, “so there must be some sort of exit, or there wouldn’t be a cross wind!”

Taako ruffles his hair in response. “Alright then, left it is!”

And they walk. And it's chilly, but it's okay, because they have each other, and because the wind is getting stronger  _ (“I knew it, sir!”  _ Angus had said when the breeze lifted his hat from his head for a second). They walk for hours, through tunnels that they can barely squeeze through and caverns so wide they can’t help but yell into the echo. 

Until they hit a dead end. 

Well, not a fully dead end. 80 feet above them is a small hole, letting through the tiniest amount of sunlight possible. Taako spends a moment looking for any sort of hand holds, livid at himself for using all of his spell slots already. No spell slots, which means no levitate, which means no escaping, which means no way to get back to Lup for hours yet. He kicks a rock in frustration, yelping as it makes contact.  _ Stupid,  _ he thinks. 

Behind him, Angus clears his throat. “Uh, Taako?” he asks, getting his attention, “What’s that?”

“What’s what?” Taako replies testily, turning around just in time to see rocks rolling towards the center of the room and stacking on one another, moving faster and faster until there’s a bright shock of orange light and suddenly in the place of the rocks is a statue and a whisper in the air:

_ —for Neverwinter— _

Taako takes a step forward, hesitant at first before running full force towards the pairing, and suddenly he  _ sees.  _ He sees the war plans, and the plans for the dam, and the broken promise, and the betrayal by his grandfather. He’s about to reach out to touch the statue, as if to test its solidness, when he hears a cry from behind him. 

When he turns, Angus is on his knees, and his normally rich brown skin is ashen and grey. In two strides, Taako is at his side, and in another swift movement, he’s on the ground, pulling the boy into his lap. 

“Taako, I think... I think something’s wrong with Aunt Lup,” he says, tears welling up and dripping down his face and  _ fuck, freezing  _ on his cheeks. 

“No, no, no, you’re okay, it's okay,” he says, trying to channel some of his own warmth into the boy, as if it's any sort of substitute for the life-giving heat from his sister (and that’s a train of thought he can’t go down, not when his kid is dying in his arms,  _ again _ ).

“It’s okay, Taako, it’ll be okay,” the boy weakly replies, raising a hand to touch the elf’s cheek. 

“I can’t lose you, kiddo, I—“ Taako swallows the lump in his throat, letting himself pause before he says the next words, “I love you too much. You’re my kid.”

Taako will never forget the way Angus’ face lights up, even as he gets colder and colder. “I love you too, Dad.”

And Taako  _ breaks _ . He wraps himself around his boy and squeezes and murmurs words of comfort in his ears and rocks him and lets himself  _ feel  _ as the cavern gets darker as the sun sets. 

He doesn’t know how long he holds Angus, but light is peeking through the hole again when he looks up and realizes that he is  _ freezing _ and that Angus is  _ gone.  _

And Taako is alone. Again. 

He cries. He sobs. He swears, he yells, he falls to his knees. 

And he breathes. 

And he stands up again. Because his sister is in danger ( _ not dead, he can’t let himself think she’s dead _ ) and Kravitz is out there somewhere and he’s got a whole  _ fucking  _ kingdom to save. 

Spell slots renewed ( _ long rest my ass,  _ he thinks), he casts levitate on himself, hovering up to the hole above him and blasting it with a few choice magic missiles to expand it. When he steps through, he turns around immediately and casts another levitate, this time on Angus’ form, gently guiding it out of the cave and into the sun again. 

He almost breaks down again when he sees the state he’s in— almost identical to the way he looked when Kravitz and Taako found him years ago— but he pushes the memory down and starts walking, before he finds a clearing just beyond the cave’s new exit. 

The world is silent when Taako dispels the magic and leans the little boy against a tree. Carefully, methodically, Taako takes some of the wildflowers and arranges them neatly around his form, until he’s surrounded by a halo of warmth and joy. 

Behind him, he hears a rustling, but he ignores it. This is his  _ kid _ , and fuck if he’s not going to give him some kind of goodbye. The rustling stops as two steps land on the forest floor behind him, and the visitor’s words are cut off by a choking noise. “Taa—“

Taako doesn’t have to turn to know who it is, he just lets himself fall to the side as his boyfriend races toward him. 

“I tried to save him, Krav...” is all he can get out before he’s crying again. 

Kravitz is... speechless. For once in his life, there’s nothing to say, and he just holds his beloved and lets him cry and—  _ oh,  _ he realizes,  _ he’s crying too.  _

They sit there, holding each other and feeling the keen loss of what could’ve been, for a few minutes, before they hear a distant rumble. 

“Okay,” Taako says, standing up, “we’ve got a kingdom to save.”

He steps forward towards Angus and presses a kiss firmly to his forehead, turning away before he can see Kravitz do the same— it hurts too much to see the life they could’ve had together, and when Kravitz turns around, Taako can see the same expression on his face before he schools it into something more serious. 

“I’m here,” he says, stepping towards Taako and grasping his hand once again, “what do you need?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cw: Angus dies in this chapter, after Lup is frozen and unable to sustain the magic it takes to keep him alive.  
> //
> 
> okay i'm really sorry about this angst but i PROMISE he'll be fine in literally the next chapter this is based on a DISNEY movie folks!
> 
> last chapter coming soon-- thank you for your patience and support!!
> 
> you can interact with me, as always, on twitter @choose__joy, and/or on tumblr at thisisadingdongblog!
> 
> thanks for reading!


	9. get this right

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hahaha remember when i said this was the last chapter? i lied.

Taako barely takes a second before launching into his explanation: “So. Turns out. My grandfather? Actually a bad guy, killed the leader of Phandolin, and set the dam up as a way to control them.”

“I see,” says Kravitz, taking it well in stride, “What do we need to do?”

Taako dexterously leaps onto Raven’s back, extending a hand towards his partner. “Hop on, I’ll explain on the way.” 

Kravitz is a second behind, settling in behind his boyfriend quickly while spurring on the wolf. Trees begin to fly past at an alarming rate, and Taako guides Raven expertly. If Kravitz goes a little misty-eyed at that, well, there’s no one around to make fun of him. 

“So here’s the sitch. We need to destroy the dam and restore order to the forest. Which is why we need help.” Taako explains as they suddenly screech to a halt by a ravine. 

Before them lie... a bunch of rocks, at first glance. Kravitz is just about to question the reason for the delay when Taako starts  _ hollering _ . 

And the ground shifts. 

Suddenly, the ravine is much wider than it first seemed, and the sun is no longer shining in their eyes. Instead, giant figures of stone tower over them, rumbling discontentedly. Without so much as a second thought, Taako shoots a Charm Person spell at the largest of the group, and the change is instantaneous. 

“Hello,” says the earth spirit, in a lilting accent, “my name is Klaarg. How can I help you, friend?”

“We need to destroy the dam up north. Can you and your friends help us?” Taako asks. 

“Of course!” Klaarg roars, “Anything for my best friend!” 

The earth giant stands back up to his full height before turning to his compatriots and speaking low and quickly in a language neither Taako nor Kravitz knows. They don’t have to wait long for a response, though, because the troupe begins moving forward, along the river that has slown to a trickle. 

Raven keeps pace with Klaarg easily, leading her pack towards the structure that has caused so much pain. It isn’t long before they reach it, emerging from the relative cover of tree limbs into a wide expanse of plains. Just beyond them is the dam— a grey fortress that would appear almost ornamental until you looked a bit closer to see the thick slabs of rock are purposefully unsanded and sharp: a natural defense. 

Of course, nothing is ever easy. As soon as they clear the trees, they’re met with a new obstacle: Captain Davenport and the rest of the Neverwintern guard. 

“What do you think you’re doing?” Davenport asks, sword raised in offense. 

“Listen, Cap’n’port, I appreciate what your doing, but ch’boy needs you to move so we can break down that dam.” Taako replies, drawing himself up to his full height, looking every bit the elven prince he is. 

“If you break that dam, Neverwinter will be flooded. You’ll destroy the kingdom!” the Captain fires back, stepping closer as he prepares to fight. 

“It’ll save this one!” Taako explodes, “The whole reason we’re here is because my sister decided it’d be a good idea to follow a voice. She wanted the truth. Guess what? She  _ found it.  _ Our grandfather killed the king of Phandolin to maintain control over this land, and I won’t let his greed win. My sister came looking for the truth. She  _ died  _ for it.” Taako can feel Kravitz stiffen behind him, but he keeps going as angry tears prickle on his lower lids. “Neverwinter will be fine. We’ll rebuild. We owe it to these people to help them.”

Captain Davenport flushes, his sword still high in the air, wavering slightly. 

Taako once again takes a steadying breath before he goes on. “With Lup dead, I am now the sovereign ruler of Neverwinter. You can either join us, or I will order you to stand aside. It’s time to do what’s right.”

That’s what does it. Davenport lowers his sword, swinging the tip into the dry grass at his feet as he kneels, head bowed and hands on the hilt. 

The rest of the soldiers follow suit, and someone begins a familiar (but not too familiar) cry: “All hail Taako, king of Neverwinter. Long live the king!”

“Alright, alright, we’ve only got like 20 minutes left on this Charm Person spell so we need to get moving!” Taako says, cutting them off as soon as possible.  _ Simply practical,  _ he thinks to himself,  _ nothing to do with losing—.  _ He doesn’t let himself finish the thought, instead refocusing on the armies around him.  _ There’ll be time to spiral later _ , he reminds himself. “Ok Klaarg, think you can get your buddies to start throwing some boulders that way?” 

Klaarg nods, a grin stretching across his stony face as he turns around and speaks to his compatriots, and the group swiftly gets to work. Stones fly across the purple sky, and for a moment, it seems like they’re winning-- the dam is sloughing off larger and larger pieces, and there are a few distinct leaks.

And then, the stones stop.

When Taako turns around, he instantly notices what’s wrong. Klaarg’s once hazy eyes are sharp, his pupils narrowed into slits, focused onto the wizard. A boulder shatters in his hand.

“Hey Krav? New plan. Get me to that dam.” Taako calls out, hopping on the back of Raven and looping his arms around his boyfriend.

Kravitz takes off immediately, urging the wolf forwards (just in time, as a rock lands just where they were a second ago). “Taako, I love you, but you know this is a stupid plan, right?” he asks.

“Listen, ch’boy never claimed to be smart, but he’s sure as hell resourceful!” is the response, and, well, there’ll be time to unpack that later, assuming they don’t die. Which, if the boulders whizzing by their heads are any indication, is more or less a 50/50 shot right now. 

That said, Taako’s plan is working-- yes, they’re a living target, but Raven is smart and fast, and nothing’s clipped them yet. The cracks are getting bigger and bigger, spider webbing up the dam from each impact.

It’s Klaarg’s boulder that’s the actual breaking point-- in one final shot, the stone dam begins to creak ominously, and Kravitz is steering them out of harm's way well before Taako has the chance to say anything. 

With one final groan, the structure finally gives way, letting loose a torrent of icy cold water that floods into the riverbank eagerly. For a moment, nothing else happens, and Taako has a second to wonder,  _ Was I wrong? Wasn’t this what needed to happen?  _

That’s, of course, when the sky splits in two.

***

  
Lup can feel her fingers.

_ Lup can feel her fingers! _

By the time she processes this, she’s up like a shot, spinning lightly on her feet as a breathless giggle escapes her lips. When she looks around, she’s on the cold floor just beyond the entrance to Tusun, and her little jellyfish friend is by her side, twirling around her with its little melody.

It's then that she realizes what must have happened.  _ Obviously  _ Taako would have gotten her message and told the others. Now all she needs to do is--

“Oh, shit,”

She’s run down the shore and conjured a canoe before she can finish her expletive, the jellyfish by her side as she pushes the boat into the water and hops in, already pushing and pulling the water to gain speed. She’s fast-- faster than she’s ever been, certainly, but it’s not  _ enough.  _ She can see the remains of the dam in the distance, but the water is moving so much  _ faster _ than her little canoe can move. If only—

_ Of course _ , she thinks, reshaping the boat into a long board she stands upon. With a whistle, she motions to the earth spirit, and the jellyfish creature swirls its tentacles happily as it conjures what might be the biggest wave she’s ever seen. 

Taako is going to be  _ so  _ jealous. 

The boost of speed is just what they need— soon she is speeding down the river (much wider now thanks to her brother’s quick thinking), and she can’t help but woop and make a rude gesture towards her twin as she starts to speed past. 

She can  _ hear  _ the relief in her brother’s voice as he calls out: “Hey! Stop stealing my IP!” 

Her response is a breathless giggle that turns into a full-bodied laugh, as she struggles to get out her response, a cry of: “we can fight over it after I’ve saved Neverwinter!  _ Again! _ ”

She can hear his shriek of rage as she whizzes past, and can’t help the grin that threatens to crack her face in two. 

As soon as he’s out of sight, she forces herself to focus again, concentrating intensely on getting ahead of the swell of water from the dam. 

When she finally hits the open water of the fjord, she lets herself breathe a sigh of relief before realizing she’s not fast enough— the water is still rushing at frantic speed, and while she’s ahead of the flood, it’s not enough to do anything to stop it. 

So, she sings. 

The same 7 notes that have haunted her memory for ages now, a last ditch effort to save the kingdom as she knows it. 

For a moment, the earth stands still. 

And then it bursts in a shock of wind, stone, water, and—

_ Fire _ , she breathes. 

The wind spirits, the two she tamed just days ago, lift her from her board, which crumbles into the ocean below. The seas churn angrily, forcing the flood to slow down, just a bit. 

Just enough for the stone to start sloughing off the mountains around her, into the water, building a makeshift wall. A wall that she  _ knows  _ how to seal. 

Flames sprout from her fingertips, easy as breathing. They fill every crevice of the wall, hardening into solid lava rock, sealing it so that it's sturdy and strong. 

And, if Lup may say so herself, pretty fucking beautiful. 

The stone wall protects the eastern border of Neverwinter, stretching to the sky in an elegant whorl. It's decorated in fine swirls and lines, equal parts stunning and intimidating. 

Needless to say, it's more than enough to protect the kingdom from the influx of water. The tide hits the wall soundly, sending sea spray high into the air, before stopping its speedy approach and trickling around the wall. 

Neverwinter is  _ safe _ . 

Lup can hear the cheers from her place in the sky, and she waves encouragingly towards her people before turning (as much as she can, given the whole  _ no gravity  _ situation) towards the jellyfish creature. 

“Think you can take me back to Taako?” she asks, “We’ve got some business to attend to.”

The jellyfish creature is spinning before she can finish her question, and the laugh that escapes her throat is full and joyful. 

***

Taako is. Overjoyed. 

He’s also  _ empty.  _

There’s no other word for it. His sister, his  _ heart _ , is alive, is safe, is literally  _ saving the kingdom _ , and he still feels breathless. 

He doesn’t need to tell Kravitz. Kravitz knows. He feels it with him. Now that the rush of adrenaline has worn off, he can feel every crack in his soul, and he  _ hates it.  _ Hasn’t felt like this in years, not since his sister came back to him. 

It’s clear that Captain Davenport and Lucretia want to talk to them, but Taako just.  _ Can’t.  _ Technically, with Lup alive, he doesn’t actually need to. So, he doesn’t. 

He doesn’t need to say anything, just turns closer into Kravitz’s chest, who makes their swift apologies and promises to return imminently. 

The next thing he knows, he’s by the grave. 

For a moment, he won’t let himself think the words  _ Angus’ grave.  _ It makes it too real, too much. 

And then he hears Kravitz’s broken rasp of the little boy’s name, and suddenly they’re both in tears— great, heaving sobs that would almost be comical if they weren’t so  _ real.  _

The noise obscures Lup’s return, gently on the bank of the (much wider) river, but it doesn’t obscure her quiet “oh.”

The pair don’t even flinch, just open their arms for her to wiggle her way within. It's quiet for a moment, tears falling silently from all three faces. 

Until Lup remembers she has  _ magic fucking powers.  _

“Oh my Pan. I’m so fucking dumb,” she says, worming her way out of the pile and moving towards the body of the little boy. 

A stream of warm golden breath expels from her lips, rolling through the air and into the nose of the boy before her. 

As soon as it's fully disappeared, he begins to glow. His ashen cheeks are once again full and ruddy, and when he opens his eyes, they  _ sparkle.  _

And, well, Taako can’t be blamed for the rush of relief that fills his lungs as he scoops the boy up into his arms. “Don’t ever scare me like that, ever again.”

Angus just nods, wrapping his arms around his mentor (his  _ dad _ , he privately thinks) and relaxing into the embrace as Kravitz swoops in beside him, Lup not far behind. 

The little family soaks in each other’s presence, relishing in the fact that they’re all  _ alive,  _ that they’re all  _ safe,  _ that—

“Hey, Aunt Lup?” Angus asks. 

“Yeah, little bud?”

“How’d you bring me back to life? I know you saved me from death before but that’s... a little different than bringing me back to life.”

The group parts as Lup flushes a bright red. “Uh, I, that is to say, Barry— I mean— Mr. Bluejeans—“

Taako snorts, and Lup turns an even darker shade. 

“Fuck it. Barry—  _ shut up, Taako _ — and I had some theories about my powers and how they’d mix with...” she mumbles the last part of the phrase into her chest, starting to turn away. 

“I’m sorry, what was that last part? Ch’boy couldn’t hear you,” Taako teases, shifting Angus to his hip (he’s really too big to do this to, but when has that ever stopped Taako). 

“WITH NECROMANCY!” Lup responds, refusing to make eye contact with Kravitz. 

Kravitz, whose jaw is locked and practically vibrating with the force of it. 

  
And, fuck it, Taako  _ cackles.  _


	10. home

On the continent of Faerún, there are two neighboring countries. Once, they were at war. Then, they were separated. 

Today, they are family. 

***

The Queen of Neverwinter, fully realized in her power and secure in her knowledge, leads the Prince of Phandolin on a quest, aided by the spirits at her command. 

They’re dancing around each other, for now, but it's only a matter of time before the kingdoms officially join as one once again. 

Now, though, the Queen whispers to the air spirit on her left (a shining purple thing that vaguely resembles a ram’s head until you look at it too closely), and it shoots up, intertwining with the second (a mess of black iridescent feathers). The spirits take their leave, rustling through the forest trees, the sound an emulation of laughter. 

The Queen intertwines her fingers with the Prince’s, and he turns a startling shade of scarlet. 

He kisses their joined hands, and she matches him. 

***

Miles away, there is a rock clearing tucked into the side of a mountain. To the naked eye, it is empty and barren, but carries an air of friendliness within it. 

The Captain steps into the center of the clearing and speaks. 

He speaks of wars wrongly fought, and trials bravely faced, and peace freely given. 

There is a rumbling, and a rock rolls to meet him. The Grand Dwarf emerges, and extends his arms to the Captain, who buries himself within. 

Together, they speak of joy. 

***

Further still, there is a town center. It has been shaken and rattled, but it still stands, a new flag proudly flying in the center. 

In a bistro, a gloomy looking man plays a lively tune on a fiddle, and a soldier beams from his table. 

In a carpenter’s shop, an orc woman painstakingly carves a wooden duck, aided by a woman with strong arms and a smile both gentle and sure. 

Next door, in a wolf handler’s office, a dragonborn woman speaks animatedly to a large, scarred man, who would be intimidating if it weren’t for the jovial grin that mirrors his wife’s. 

Across the square, the Director, as she has been known for so long, enters a little bookshop. She runs her fingers down the spines of aged tomes, breathing in the scent of knowledge. When she leaves, she is no longer the Director. She is a journal-keeper, and she is finally content. 

There is a little shop that is run by The Fate. Her knitting needles click in place, unheard by those around her. She smiles. 

***

There is a hill just beyond the palace walls. It is vibrant and green, and at the peak, there is a tree that is perpetually in bloom. 

Today, below it, there is a little family. 

A picnic blanket is spread below them, covered in foods that look as good as they taste. The Curious One, a little boy with shining cheeks and a missing front tooth, speaks animatedly towards his fathers (and they are his fathers, officially). He runs and jumps and swings from the boughs of the tree, much to the delight of the wolf. 

The Prince of Neverwinter leans back onto his elbows, a sprig of wheat resting in the gap between his front teeth. The Steady Lover smiles at him, contented, as he reaches into his pocket and produces a ring he’s held on to for much too long. 

The Prince laughs, producing a ring of his own from the picnic basket at their feet. As they exchange the gifts (each a perfect fit), the Curious One runs to them and loops his arms around their necks, grinning from ear to ear. 

***

On the continent of Faerún, there are two neighboring countries. Once, they were at war. Then, they were separated. 

Today, they are at peace. They have put aside their differences, and have learned to grow alongside one another. Soon, they will join forces officially, although that is still a number of years away. 

They’ve fought. They’ve won. 

Together, they chose joy. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow. that's it, folks!
> 
> thanks to everyone for sticking around for the ride. if you'd have told me a few months ago where this story ended up taking me, i wouldn't have believed you. it's been a joy to write, even if it's made me want to pull my hair out, just a bit.
> 
> special thanks to jess and mikey for supporting this venture, even when i wanted nothing to do with it. i love you both very much and am so incredibly thankful for your friendship.
> 
> this story was an absolute beast to adapt, so it'll probably be a while before i adapt something else! that said, if you want to yell about a concept with me, you know where to find me (@choose__joy on twitter, thisisadingdongblog on tumblr)!
> 
> if you liked this, check out some of my other short little taz pieces! with this done, hopefully i'll have time to put a few more in the books.
> 
> thanks again for reading-- i hope you enjoyed it! stay safe out there, and choose joy.

**Author's Note:**

> chapter titles are the songs (and a few outtakes) from the frozen 2 soundtrack! i highly suggest listening to them, especially "home".


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